Robbers Run

The trail is a short, one-way, ‘gravity enduro’ flow down style of trail. It is about 2.3 km in total length with a total elevation loss of 200m (a couple of 20% grades) and about 8m of ascending. Yeah, that means a lot of fun and little peddling

It is blue-square rated for intermediate level riders, not recommended for novices, but fairly easily rollable for beginning MTB riders that have some single track experience. Please check notices and trail notes at trail head sign for updates to trail condition, etc. Robbers Run has fast flowy sections (some bermed, some off-camber!), rocky descents, steep dips, doubles and jumps (all rollable) and tight twisty sections. So for advanced riders, the trail becomes more technical with speed.

At about the 2km mark, riders will meet up with the bottom of Thunderbolts Cave Road. If you want to ride back up to the trail head, turn left up the road. Shuttle pick-ups can be made at a flat section outside the cattle grid (turn right off trail). The final section of Robbers Run continues on across the road.

Access Info

Robbers Run mountain bike trail is located just off the New England Highway, at the top of the ‘Devils Pinch’, Black Mountain, barely 15 mins drive north of Armidale (right turn) or south from Guyra (left turn). Turn down Thunderbolts Cave Road from the New England Highway. The Robbers Run trail head is located at the Thunderbolts Cave carpark.

For visitors – “Captain Thunderbolt” was a notorious highwayman and robber, called a bushranger in Australian folklore, who used to hold up stage coaches as they slowly traversed down the mountain side. The cave was one of his hideouts. Hence the name ‘Robbers Run’ for this MTB trail.